News Broadcasting
CBS signs wireless deal with Capitol Records for ‘CSI: NY’
MUMBAI: US broadcasters are increasingly looking to forge deals that link the worlds of television, music and wireless communications.
A good example is a deal done by CBS for its forensics show CSI: NY.
A ring tone featuring a single from rock group Coldplay will be woven into an upcoming episode of CSI: NY. Moments later, after the scene is broadcast, a ring tone from that song will be offered to viewers for download on their cell phones.
This is happening due to a cross promotion agreement between CBS and Capitol Records.
A ring tone of Coldplay’s song Talk will be embedded into an episode of CSI: NY which airs tonight 30 November 2005. In the episode, CSI: NY’s Danny Messer played by Carmine Giovinazzo) is investigating a case when his cell phone rings to the tune of Talk.
Following the scene, CBS will run promotional messages during the act break in the episode alerting viewers as to how they can purchase and download a ring tone from Talk in Realtone format onto their personal cell phones.
The Realtone version will be available exclusively for one week through most major wireless carriers in the US by sending the text message Talk to a specific number provided by CBS. After this exclusive one week launch window, the ring tone will be widely available, including on CBS.com. In addition to the ring tone, the song Talk will also be used as background music in a scene later in tonight’s episode.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
